Mexico’s Anima Studios Leaps Into Virtual Reality (EXCLUSIVE)

Iconic Mexican comic Cantinflas leads passengers on a virtual ride through Mexico’s history

Latin America’s most prominent animation house Anima Studios has made its first foray into virtual reality with “Cantinflas Presents: The Time Machine,” a seven-minute animated VR short that plays during a ride at the Selva Magica Amusement Park in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Mexico City-based animation company developed and supervised the production of the VR ride in collaboration with amusement park giant Ventura Entertainment. German VR ride companies Ambient Entertainment and VR Coaster were also partners on the project.

“As our first virtual reality project, we had the amazing opportunity to work in such a different and powerful medium and explore its many possibilities,” said Anima COO Jose C. Garcia de Letona. “It was ideal for our first venture into VR as there’s no need for other devices aside from the special glasses provided by the ride,” said Garcia.

“Having in the short feature such an emblematic character as Cantinflas is an honor by itself,” he added. The late comic Cantinflas, who was dubbed the ‘Charlie Chaplin of Mexico,’ helped usher in the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema and had a film career that stretched from the 30’s through to the early ‘80s. In the VR short, a cartoon Cantinflas guides passengers through significant milestones in Mexico’s history.

Founded in 2002, Anima is best known for its hit animated movies “Top Cat,” “Wicked Flying Monkeys” and the “Legend” franchise, of which it debuts its fifth sequel next year, “The Legend of the Black Charro.” In September, it premieres “Monster Island” which has

been pre-sold to five territories in Asia and Europe. In television, it has made such animated series as “El Chavo,” “El Chapulín Colorado” and “Teenage Fairytale Dropouts.” It is the first animation studio in Latin America to produce an original series for Netflix, “Legend Quest.”